---
type: "LegalText"
title: "42 U.S.C. § 7261"
description: "Acquisition of copyrights, patents, etc."
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
chapter_number: "84"
chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY"
section: "7261"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 7261"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s7261"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml"
source_hash: "e99689267236f5efce9025be0142f3973d5a72fd2a582aac899410005e91db80"
raw_snapshot_hash: "644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e"
text_hash: "9cdcbf308d1ea67b30f6e2fa6d1433c1770956db3613d833801fc8813add9775"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 42 U.S.C. § 7261 - Acquisition of copyrights, patents, etc.

## Text

The Secretary is authorized to acquire any of the following described rights if the property acquired thereby is for use by or for, or useful to, the Department:

(1) copyrights, patents, and applications for patents, designs, processes, and manufacturing data;

(2) licenses under copyrights, patents, and applications for patents; and

(3) releases, before suit is brought, for past infringement of patents or copyrights.

(Pub. L. 95–91, title VI, § 651, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 601.)